Cyber Security Administrator (Operations)

Kenya Airways is seeking a Cyber Security Administrator (Operations) to support the protection of its information systems, digital assets, and supporting infrastructure. Based at Kenya Airways Headquarters in Nairobi, the role focuses on defensive cybersecurity operations, incident response, security monitoring, vulnerability management, penetration testing, and strengthening the organization’s overall security posture.

Job Overview

• Organization: Kenya Airways PLC
• Job Title: Cyber Security Administrator (Operations)
• Division: Information Technology
• Employment Type: Contract
• Location: Kenya Airways Headquarters, Nairobi
• Expiry Date: October 3, 2026 at 6:24pm

Purpose

The Cyber Security Administrator is responsible for safeguarding Kenya Airways’ information systems, digital assets, and supporting infrastructure through hands-on cybersecurity operations. The position involves penetration testing, red team simulations, adversary emulation, vulnerability assessments, security monitoring, and incident response to proactively identify weaknesses and strengthen defensive controls.

Responsibilities

• Identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks through defensive analysis and offensive security testing.
• Develop risk mitigation strategies informed by threat monitoring and incident analysis.
• Implement and continuously improve the system-wide information security function to ensure security risks are identified and monitored.
• Monitor information security risks across the organization and escalate emerging threats to inform defensive priorities.
• Collaborate with developers, systems engineers, database engineers, security engineers, project managers, cybersecurity administrators, and SOC analysts.
• Implement and fine-tune security monitoring solutions, including Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems.
• Investigate and mitigate security breaches and coordinate incident response with internal teams and external partners where required.
• Triage, investigate, contain, eradicate, and recover from security incidents in line with documented procedures.
• Lead incident investigations using data-driven analysis and coordinate corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Maintain and improve incident response plans and playbooks for common attack scenarios.
• Operationalize threat intelligence feeds and adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to update detection rules and block emerging indicators of compromise.
• Deploy and maintain Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) workflows to automate alert triage, enrichment, and routine response activities.
• Oversee the deployment, configuration, and maintenance of security technologies, including EDR/XDR and encryption solutions.
• Ensure defensive systems are patched, updated, and operating at optimal performance with high availability.
• Assist with vulnerability assessments, penetration tests, and adversary emulation exercises mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
• Collaborate with SOC analysts during purple team exercises and translate offensive security findings into defensive improvements.
• Work with Internal Audit and External Audit consultants on required security assessments and audits.
• Ensure projects and systems undergo security checks before and after go-live to identify potential security threats.
• Establish defensive best practices, hardening baselines, and configuration standards based on the organization’s security needs.
• Protect data and infrastructure through layered, defense-in-depth security controls across network, endpoint, application, and data layers.
• Conduct continuous monitoring, vulnerability scanning, control validation, breach investigation, and root cause analysis.

Skills

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills with an attacker’s mindset.
• Ability to handle pressure and difficult situations calmly and effectively.
• Unquestionable integrity and strong ethical standards.
• Self-motivated with a passion for continuous learning in cybersecurity.
• Commitment to responsible disclosure practices.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology or another related field.
• Experience: 3+ years of advanced IT experience with a high level of information security expertise and hands-on defensive cybersecurity operations experience.
• Proven hands-on experience in security monitoring, incident detection and response, and vulnerability management.
• Proficiency with SIEM platforms and vulnerability scanning and management tools.
• Experience in penetration testing, ethical hacking, and vulnerability assessments.
• Familiarity with security auditing processes.
• Strong knowledge of Linux commands, scripting, and Windows security controls.
• Ability to configure systems to identify intrusions according to organizational requirements.
• Strong knowledge of networking protocols and common attack vectors.
• Experience conducting information security audits or risk assessments.
• Industry certifications such as CEH, CDSA, CISSP, SSCP, or equivalent defensive and offensive security certifications are highly preferred.
• Knowledge of securing network technologies, applications, and operating systems.
• Experience responding to, analyzing, and communicating information security incidents and performing forensic activities.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, including formal report writing experience.
• Understanding of security standards and regulations including PCI DSS, NIST, ISO 27001, GDPR, and IOSA.
• Ability to enforce security best practices in line with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

How To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit a detailed Curriculum Vitae through the Kenya Airways career portal. The position is based at Kenya Airways Headquarters, Nairobi, and only qualified applicants with the right to live and work at the stated location will be considered. Due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.